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Article published In:
Applying Embodied Cognition and Cognitive Linguistics to language teaching
Edited by Paolo Della Putta and Ferran Suñer
[Review of Cognitive Linguistics 21:1] 2023
► pp. 266–292
Regular articles

L2 English learners’ verb lexicalization of motion events

Effects of proficiency and salience of manner

| Seoul National University
| Gyeongin National University of Education
This study examines the effects of L2 proficiency and manner salience on English learners’ verb lexicalization of spontaneous motion events. Three proficiency groups of L1 Korean learners of L2 English were asked to describe spontaneous motion situations, and their use of verbs was compared to that of native English speakers. Results indicate that L2 learners’ verb lexicalization was heavily influenced by the typological patterns of their native language, but the development of target-like lexicalization patterns occurred even though it plateaued at a certain acquisitional phase. Moreover, it was found that the degree of adopting target-like lexicalization patterns varied by manner-of-motion types (i.e., high-salience manner such as swim versus low-salience manner such as walk) in all three learner groups, implying that the inherent salience of manner has an impact on L2 lexicalization of spontaneous motion.
Keywords: verb lexicalization, framing typology, motion event, proficiency, inherent salience of manner
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Lexicalization of motion events
    • 2.1Motion expressions and salience of manner
    • 2.2L2 Learners’ lexicalization of motion events
  • 3.The study
    • 3.1Motion verbs in Korean and English
    • 3.2Participants
    • 3.3Material
    • 3.4Test and coding procedure
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Verb-lexicalization patterns by L2 proficiency
    • 4.2Salience effects
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Verb lexicalization of L2 proficiency groups
    • 5.2Effects of inherent salience of manner
    • 5.3Pedagogical implications
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 2 February 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00134.jeo
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